1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of telephony services. More specifically, the present invention relates to a telecommunications service provider incorporating an animated avatar during a communication service.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
In computing, avatar is a term generally used to represent a personalized digital representation of an Internet user. The avatar of a user can take either a two-dimensional or a three-dimensional form. Avatars have been in use in the Internet forums, Internet chat programs, Internet messaging programs, blogs, online games, online worlds, portals. Besides, avatars can be used as automated online assistants in websites.
With the widespread use of the social networks, forums, etc. there emerged a need to create an online identity other than the actual photo or video of a user which represents people's different components of persona. The traditional form of avatars is a small square-shaped picture. Some forums allow the user to upload an avatar image or select an avatar from a preset list.
Some avatars used in different environments can be animated, consisting of a sequence of multiple images played repeatedly. There exist other avatar systems where a pixelized two-dimensional or three-dimensional representation of a person or creature is used, which can then be customized to the user's wishes.
Nowadays, avatars are being used in many different areas. They can be used as virtual embodiments of agents, which are driven more or less by artificial intelligence rather than real people. Automated online assistants are examples of avatars in this way. Such avatars are used by organizations as a part of automated customer services in order to interact with consumers and users of services. Alternatively, they can be used to simply conceal the identity of a real agent.
In some gaming applications and online worlds, people can use their self-created two- or three dimensional human or imaginary representations of their inworld self. In some of these applications, avatars' appearance can be customized. Creation steps of the mentioned avatars can vary from service to service. In some of these services, users can create their own avatars by choosing one or more of the given avatar templates. After choosing the preferred avatar template, the user can add some appearance features (eye color, hair color, facial features, etc.) to their avatars according to his/her wishes; this newly created avatar can be animated or non-animated. In other services, the users can upload their photographs and the system running behind converts it to a two- or three-dimensional avatar. The avatar may be realistic or unrealistic.
Using avatars in telephony services is a promising area. It offers to users an alternative way to communicate. Different than the common and traditional communication services, users can express themselves with their two- and/or three-dimensional interactive avatars while using telephony services. There are services such as Digimi and IMVU offering 3D avatar creation and using 3D avatars in online virtual worlds. Creating two and/or three dimensional avatars and using them in online social virtual worlds allowing user-created content is well known and documented in prior-art. For example Blue Mars provides users a 3D massively multiplayer virtual world platform where users can customize clothing, hair, body shape, etc. and communicate with each other using local text and voice chat through the online platform.
Whatever the precise merits, features and advantages of the above cited references, none of them achieves or fulfills the purposes of the present invention.
Embodiments of the present invention are an improvement over prior art systems and methods.